Camping with the Creeds
Written: December 16, 2003
"Camping with the Creeds"
By DelCreed and Griffin
Disclaimer:
This is a dimension #2 Griffin story Griffin in any dimension is mine, mine I say. So if you want to use him please ask, submit a blood sample to me and write a 1,000,000 word explanation on what you want to do with him and then I might let you barrow him, the same thing goes for Metalica and the twins Loric and Navar (Hide 'n' Seek) Marvel owns all the rights to the X-Men, Gen-X and X-Factor, and I admit to borrowing them from time to time without their permission I don't make any money doing this, or anything else in my life (Being an 'on call' Security Agent doesn't pay all that much folks)***
When we last joined our, badly singing heroes they were on their way to a campsite chosen by Mystique, who'd had this strange idea that she could get Victor to bond with his cubs if he just spent some 'Quality Time' alone with them. Well after the near kidnapping of Griffin by a truck driver and a new found feeling of 'Parental Panic' for Vic, she just maybe on the right track after all.
Hold on to the kids here comes part two of our story.
*
After the, breakneck, turn off and another half hour of driving Victor and the cubs finally started to see signs announcing that they were going in the right direction to arrive at the 'Lucky Duck Lodge'.
"Place sounds more like a freakin' Chinese food joint then a campground." Victor muttered. The open green fields on either side of the road gave way to woods and another sign pointed them down a dirt track, where Creed pulled the station wagon up to the main office of the campground, he parked the car and pointed at the twins, who were hanging half out the rear window, sniffing, "Stay in the car and that goes double for you pretty boy," Vic said to Griffin, who crossed his arms over his chest and pouted,
#Don't call me that 'Dad' its detrimental to my self-esteem and mom won't like that.# Victor narrowed his eyes.
"You learn quick cub, make ya a deal; you don't get 'picked up' by anyone for the rest of the day and I won't call you a 'pretty boy' again." Griffin smiled,
'Too easy.' Griffin thought to himself, #Deal.# Victor stalked into the office to get their lot assignment, the manager behind the desk eyed him with apprehension.
"You with the other group that's here sir?"
"No, name's Victor Creed… we have a reservation that was phoned in." The man still looked at him funny but sighed,
"Oh, yes your wife called earlier, said you and your boys would be getting here soon." Vic sputtered at Mystique being referred to as his wife, as he tried to hack up the gum he'd swallowed.
"That wasn't my wife, she's just my cubs ma." The manager smiled politely and nodded, not wanting to risk any further misunderstanding.
"Well here you are sir, lot 999, its on the water's edge, more privet then most of our regular lots, but it's a slight hike to the bathrooms… we do ask that all out guests please use the facilities we provided, so as to not contaminate the aria." Creed rolled his eyes, once the man turned away to put the payment for the camp into the collection box. What was the world coming to when a guy can't even go for a piss in the woods.
"Fine." Victor signed the contract form. Once back in the car he studied the map for a moment then tossed it to Griffin, "Well ya got us this far." Was all he said to the older cub's enquiring look. Griffin was able to direct them to the campsite within five minutes, what messed him up for a moment was the fact that the number sign, 999, had become loose and was hanging upside down and read, 666.
#Oh, now that bodes well.# Griffin said dryly to himself, once out of the car they took a look around. There was a fire pit made of concrete and circled with stones, a lean-to that looked like a little log cabin that had been cut in half, and a wood framed sand lot for pitching a tent was also available. But it was the vast view of the lake with it's smooth pebbled edge that had the twins hurrying to pull off socks and shoes. Griffin went to the back of the station wagon and opened the hatch, to start unloading the wagon, when a wild beeping had him jumping back in surprise, as he watched, sitting on the ground where he'd fallen, a metallic arm, or was it a leg, un folded followed by another then a cylinder body and a large, disk-like, head emerged and stood itself upright. Then using a silent propulsion system the 'Nanny' unit launched itself into the air to hover fifteen feet over the top of the highest tree, once in its holding pattern a compartment opened to release seven silver balls, covered in a lot of flashing lights.
"Whoa, that's cool." The twins said together, as the little round pods came out to swirl around each of them in turn… scanning them. Victor snorted as he picked up Griffin and put him back on his feet.
"Lets get this stuff unloaded, never seen so much useless junk packed for a short trip into the woods." Victor tossed a large feather pillow out of the car, over his shoulder and Griffin jumped to catch it, offended because it was 'his' pillow and it was a 'necessity'. Griffin walked off hugging it. Soon a large cooler and a smaller tightly sealed cooler were in the shade, a food bag was hung from a tree branch as Vic showed them the 3-10 rule about storing food. "When you hang food up put it 10 feet from the ground, 10 feet from the trunk of the tree, and ten feet down from the branch it's hangin' on." The twins nodded in unison, absorbing everything he said like little sponges. Griffin pitched the tent, literally, up into the air, where its built-in ribs 'popped' it into shape and all Griffin had to do was stake it to the ground in the sand lot. "Wow," Creed was forced to admit, "Okay that was impressive." He then tossed Griffin a little shovel. "Dig a trench about three to five inches deep and three inches wide around the tent."
#Why?# The cub asked looking at the dinky garden tool.
"Because, if it rains the water won't puddle around the tent and seep into it." Griffin nodded understanding, but he tossed the shovel to the twins, Loric caught it.
#We need a moat dug around the castle guys.#
"I'll do half-" Loric stated,
"-and I'll do the other half." Navar agreed. Gear was stored in the tent to keep bugs out of it, but everyone was looking forward to sleeping in the lean-to out in t he open air. The monitoring nanny unit and its watcher balls were forgotten. Creed laid out wood in the pit, that the twins had gathered, for a fire they'd have later to cook dinner. (Griffin: and marshmallows! Del: Hey I'm telling the story, you get back in place your braking the forth wall here.) After all was settled Griffin took the twins to find where the bathrooms were, walking closer to the more open arias they saw other children, teens, and adults along with the occasional dog too. Everyone looked nice and happy to be right where they were, on the way back to their place some younger kids ran up to the boys and asked if they wanted to play. "We just got-"
"-here, but we'll come meet you in-"
"-the park tomorrow." The twins offered and the other kids shrugged.
"Okay, cool." They returned to camp to see that Victor had set up the final touches to the campsite and was now relaxing with a beer, which Mystique said he could have only because his healing factor didn't let him get drunk.
#Can we go swimming now?# Griffin asked when they arrived and the twins looked up at their dad hopefully.
"Ya, sure." Vic smiled as he watched the twins rush into the tent to change first, laughing back and telling Griffin he'd have to wait his turn. Griffin just shrugged and pulled off his T-Shirt and dropped his pants to reveal that he'd worn his blue spandex, thy length, swimming trunks under his cloths. With his tail free he stretched out and waited for the twins to come out. "What's that tattoo?" Victor asked seeing the odd stylized orange and black bird on Griffin's lower right ribs.
#Nothing, just a little something I did for me one day.# Victor didn't question, but he felt that the symbol meant more to the boy then he was saying. Griffin saw that Victor hadn't moved to get changed yet. #Aren't you going to come in and swim with us?# Creed shrugged.
"I don't have a suit."
#You can't swim?#
"Sure I can."
#But you just said you don't have a suit- Oh, you 'don't have a suit' because you swim… um, with out usually.# Griffin said catching on to what his dad meant. The twins came out of the tent then, Loric in yellow trunks, Navar in orange and they carried a wrapped package between them.
"Hey you were already-"
"-wearing your suit." Griffin smiled. "Pop this-"
"-is for you." Victor looked at the package.
"What is it?"
"mom packed it in-"
"-our bag." The twins handed over the present to Victor. On the card he found a note from Mystique, 'No excuses fuzz butt.' He ripped open the brown paper with the faux wood graining, Mystique must have been watching those Martha Stewart reruns again, a pair of black thy length, swimming trunks in his size fell out. Griffin turned to lead the twins into the water, but not before Victor saw the smirk on his face.
#We'll wait for you at the edge of the water dad.# Victor heaved himself up and went to change in the tent. The boys had just reached the water when the twins paused and looked back, not at the camp, but off into the woods. #What is it?# Griffin asked, trusting their heightened scenes, as he illusioned away his tail.
"Someone is coming_"
"-from over there." They pointed together, Vic stepping out of the tent saw the twins were on 'alert' and that Griffin was placing himself between them and the woods… he also saw that his cub had hidden his tail away. Victor walked silently into the woods to see what had all his cubs nervous. On silent feet he crept, having also easily heard what had alerted the twins back on the shore.
"I saw him go this way Anne; you have just got to see him. He is gorgeous." A young girl's voice was clearly discernable.
"Well come on already, where is he? Oh, look there he is by the water… wow can those trunks be any tighter?" A second girl gasped.
"Anne!" The two girls giggled. Creed choked back a laugh as he pulled back and went to his cubs.
"All clear, but keep your tail hidden its for you 'Pretty Boy'," Victor snorted, "some girl saw you earlier and she's brought a friend for a second look at you." The twins sniggered behind Griffin as he cast a scowling look at the now visibly moving bushes, just as a girl with curly dark hair peeked out at him, her eyes when wide when their gaze met and she quickly ducked back down. Girlish giggling erupted from behind the leaves. Vic pasted Griffin, picked up the twins, one under each arm, and walked out into deeper water where they started to splash one another and swim around. Griffin watched the shore.
#If you've seen enough you should go now.# He called out to the girls, who stood up blushing, the other girl had short blond hair and both were about 15 to 16 years old.
"Um… Hi." The blond shrugged sheepishly.
#Look I don't want to be rude but,# Griffin walked a bit closer to them, #my dad really doesn't like strangers spying on us… he woks for the government. Trust me you don't want to see my dad angry okay?# The two girls nodded with their jaws unhinged in surprise, then they ran off back in the direction of the communal aria.
"You'll never get yourself a frail if that is how ya talk to them." Vic said as he floated by on his back, when Griffin went to join them.
"Are you kidding pop-"
"-his girlfriend back at the school would-"
"-skin them for just looking at-"
"-him." The twins said and Vic became more alert.
#That's not true.# Griffin gasped,
"A girlfriend hu?" Victor smiled,
"We saw you kissing her-"
"-by the pool the other day." The twins stated happily running out of Griffin's reach as he tried to dunk them.
"So got yourself a frail already at that school of yours hu? Who is she, the hick or the stuck up one?" Victor asked referent to Page and Monet.
#Um… well I- we… that is, um#
"What don't remember her name?" Vic teased the cub happily. Navar broke in,
"Its Jubilee, you know dad the one who roller blades-"
"-and smells like bubblegum." Loric finished.
"Bubblegum… wait a minute you don't mean Logan's puppy!" Griffin dove under the water with a growl and a second later Victor felt a sharp tug on his leg that dunked 'him' under the water. Coming up sputtering Creed head Griffin's voice all around him,
#Don't ever call my friend a puppy, she doesn't belong to anyone but herself.# Victor located Griffin standing off to his right and dove at him as he asked playfully,
"Who's going to stop me boy?" He received an answer a lot sooner then he expected as a purple beam hit him between the shoulders. The nanny unit hovered out over the water, to join the watcher ball that had fired on Victor.
#Hey! Back off we're playing here!# Griffin yelled as he went to his dad's side and shielded him from anymore attacks. #Dad, you okay?# Vic was stunned slightly, so Griffin pulled him back into the shallower water, where he and the twins looked down at him with worry on their faces.
"I'm fine." Creed growled when he was able to sputter; only to have both twins rush to hug him, Vic even felt Griffin's hand covering his back protectively.
*
In the control room at X-Factor:
Forge readjusted the sensitivity on the nanny unit to account for Victor's horseplay with the boys,
"Sorry, I didn't realize it was so touchy. I've readjusted it and you shouldn't have any more incidents like that one." He told the campers over the com link. Victor's voice came in loud and clear.
"You better hope we don't… stinking tin can."
"It's not a tin can; it is a highly sophisticated piece of equipment." Forge defended his creation.
"I wasn't talkin' about your 'equipment', I was referin' to it's builder."
*
Vic turned away from the sight of the nanny unit returning to it's holding pattern then surprised the boys by tossing each one in quick succession up into the air so they landed in the water with big splashes around him. The twins came up laughing and wanting another turn, Griffin didn't reappear. The twins paused and looked around, Vic waited… nothing, he looked at the twins, who looked back at him, he rushed over to the spot where he'd tossed his older cub and dove under. Looking through the rather clear water he saw a sight that had him nearly swallowing the lake, as his mouth fell open. Griffin was sitting on the bottom of the lake, encased in a large air bubble, with a tube-like offshoot connecting his bubble to the air above. Victor and the twins swam closer.
#Hi, come on in, the air is fine.# Griffin invited them. The twins pressed their faces into the bubble and Griffin offered his hands to pull them in. Victor entered last.
"Nice trick, this should come in handy one day." Griffin smiled.
#Ya, learned it in the pool, boy you should have seen the look on Wolveri-# Griffin broke off.
"You pulled this stunt on the runt?" Vic asked.
#Yes, he was over by the grill when he saw me dive in and not come up, he jumped into the pool fully dressed to 'save' me.# Victor smirked, #I had to promise Father,# Griffin referred to his other biological, male, parent Charles Xavier, #I'd never do the face only version ever again, unless I was in danger and need to fool someone who is out to hurt me.#
"He jumped in cloths and all?" Vic was still surprised that Logan done anything to save his cub.
"He even had-"
"-a cigar in his mouth when he jumped in-"
"-when he came out it was all soggy,"
"-and his hair was all flat too." The twins added for Victor to get the full picture, he smirked. A few moments later,
"Well I'm getin' hungry." Creed stood up from the lake bottom.
"Us too." The twins agreed, now board with sifting thought the rocks and watching the fish swimming past. Vic shrugged.
"Okay we'll get dinner." Vic offered, then with his quick cat-like reflexes he thrust his hand out of the bubble and snagged a passing fish. "How dose trout sound?" The twins wanted to try too, and eventually each did catch a fish, but they had a harder time holding their fish because they didn't have claws, so they handed them over to their dad to carry. "Well what about you?" Vic asked Griffin.
#I can't hold the bubble open for long if I'm not concentrating on it, well not the size it is now anyways.# Vic looked at him, well that explained why Griffin had been so quiet.
"Okay we'll go now," Vic told him, "you catch your dinner and I'll show you all how to clean and cook it. How do we get out of here?" The side of the bubble closest to the shore opened into a tunnel till they could stand in hip deep water. After they'd gone Griffin watched the fish going past, then with a smile he 'netted' two in his TK pocket and took them to shore.
#I thought someone might want seconds.# Griffin offered his dad the fish.
"Good." Vic said, but then he saw there weren't any claw marks on them. "Now go get one without your fancy mind tricks." Griffin stood there for a moment considering then shrugged.
#Fine, I can do that.# He went back to the water and waited for a fish to swim by. It took him four tries to get a fish, but to be fair Creed could see he was also putting on a show for the twins. The smell of fresh fish filled the air, as Vic showed them how to coat the fish in flour mixed with salt, pepper and cornmeal. The boys also learned how to cook potatoes in the fire's coals and how to make bread on a stick. #I hope everyone isn't too full.# Griffin said as Vic watched him pull out an insulated box, covered in duct tape. #Knowing how hard it is to sneak anything past your super noses I had J-Lee look into a way of sealing these up so you couldn't smell them.# The moment Griffin clawed thought the packaging the twins sat up straighter, even Vic got curious as Griffin set out, chocolate bars, a box of cookies and a big bag of marshmallows.
"SMORES!" The twins cried in unison as they rushed off to find sticks, Griffin just shrugged and snagged the one he'd used during dinner to bake bread over the fire. The twins returned and happily handed the new sticks to their dad, so he could claw a point on them, then quickly set about roasting the mass of gooey sugar.
"What's a smores?" Victor finally asked, his sons all looked at him as if he'd just kicked a puppy.
#You live in the woods for years and years and don't know what a smore is?# With a look of agreement the first finely roasted marshmallow (By Griffin) was placed with a chocolate square between two gram crackers, slightly smooched down and presented to Sabretooth. Taking it dubiously between his fingers Vic sniffed it, caught the look of anticipation on his cub's faces watching him, and bit into the sugar laden bomb… and he loved it. The first was followed by three more and the twins would have kept on roasting, but Griffin suggested keeping some for the next night, as he picked up the dishes. Later the boys asked for stories, so Vic told them about his times on black-ops for the Canadian government, many of which had him saving Wolverine's butt.
"Ya, the runt was on that one with me, saved my neck on the way in then I saved his ass on the way out." Navar was the first to yawn, followed by Loric, so Vic went and pulled out their sleeping bags and set them up in the lean-to. Griffin arrived wit some air-mattresses. "What are you doing with those? Planning on floating the cubs down the river?"
#No, its to pad under the sleeping bags.# Creed rolled his eyes.
"I'm not blowing those up, if you want to use em' you blow em'."
#Fine.# Griffin used his TK to pull apart the two sides of the mattresses, creating a void inside them that filled with air, which he simply just plugged and placed under the bedding.
"You cubs are so soft." Vic scoffed.
#Would you like me to deflate yours?# Griffin offered smiling.
"Um… no." Victor went to bank the fire as the twins, in their pj's came out of the tent and hopped into their makeshift beds, where they were soon out like candles.
#Night dad.# Griffin's 'voice' whispered, it wasn't distorted by a huge yawn he covered with his hand. #Thanks for saving me earlier too.#
"One thing about you, you ain't dull… sides Raven would kill me if I come back a cub short." Vic teased; as Griffin snuggled down in his bed.
#Ya, she would.#
*
The sun and bird's songs didn't wake Vick the next morning, but a slowly sinking feeling did. He opened his eyes to see Griffin toying with the plug to his air mattress.
"Morning-"
"-Pop, breakfast-"
"-is on it's way." The boys informed him.
#As soon as I get the eggs cooked.#
"Bacon." Vic rumbled.
#Ya, we'll have that too.# Griffin promised.
"No, you cook the bacon first then you fry up the eggs in the drippings." Griffin looked impressed,
#Really? That's a good idea.# Victor watched as his son, a young man he was just getting to know. 'Not bad, this one can cook.' He thought happily. As they were finishing their food a man approached the camp, alerted by his family's behavior, Griffin quickly cast an illusion over himself to be on the safe side.
"Morning in the camp, you all just get in?" Vic nodded and muttered,
"Yesterday afternoon." The man beamed at them, Griffin cast a quick look up at the silently, hovering, 'Nanny' and thanked God that people never bother to look up anymore.
"Well we got a meeting going on later and you and your kids are welcome to join in, got some activities and stuff lined up too." Vic's eyebrow twitched.
"What kind of meetin' is it?" The sight of a tiny gold pin on the man's shirt put Victor on alert.
"The best kind, FoH… stands for 'Friends of Humanity', you heard of us. We're the last hope humans everywhere have of surviving the threat of mutants."
"Ya, I know who the FoH are." Vic said carefully hiding his hands in his pockets.
"Really what chapter you with?"
"None, haven't had the time to join one… what with the cub- kid's ma diein' so suddenly." The twins caught on fast and turned big, sad eyes on the man.
"Well you have good timing, the rally starts at eleven O'clock and Graydon Creed himself is giving a speech at eleven-thirty." Vic's head snapped up at the mention of his oldest son's name.
"Graydon."
"Ya, he founded the cause years ago, a real amazing speaker too."
"We wouldn't miss it; those pesky mutants could be anywhere." Sabretooth agreed with a big smile, finaly deciding to show his teeth… it was the kind of smile that had sent solders running home to mommy, but the other man just smiled back and held out his hand to shake his and walked off to visit the next camp. Vic took his breakfast knife and looked at this reflection in it. "Aaaaaa!" Vic was so shocked he dropped the knife.
#Dad, its okay I just illusion you some regular teeth, so the guy wouldn't see anything.# Vic frowned at the red haired youth.
"A little warning-" Vic glanced down and saw his nails were gone too. Griffin shrugged,
#Um, and hands.#
"Figures Raven would set us up right in the middle of a camp full of FoH bigots, with our son here no less to I.D. me."
"Sons pop,"
"there are three of us." The twins pointed out.
"No, Graydon is my son with 'stique, he's your older brother." The boys were all silent, Griffin had wondered about the coincidence of the man also being named Creed.
#Are you going to see him?#
"No, he hates mutants and me more then any other." Griffin decided to make him an offer,
#I can illusion you to look different, he won't recognize you, I'll go covert too and we can do some snooping around, maybe get some info to help stop these guys from doing something.# Victor smiled humorlessly,
"Covert hu? You don't think we should leave?"
#Well ya part of me wants to be where the twins are safe, but if we don't do something who's to say these guys won't do something that they've planed 'here' later that would get us all killed anyway later.# The twins nodded. #Look they were here first, but who says they won't leave after the meeting, or by tomorrow morning?#
"We can pass as-"
"-normal, we just don't-"
"-do anything in front of anyone." Loric and Navar added.
"Okay, go ahead and illusion me cub."
#Cool, um just remember to stay within 300 feet of me at all times, or you'll be out of my range." Victor's armband rang and a watcher ball came to float in front of him, where it opened to reveal a small vid-screen. "Yes?" Vic smiled at the frowning blue face.
"Don't you dare take our son's to an FoH rally Victor!" Mystique shouted.
"Now Raven you're the one who booked this joint, 'sides cubs should get a look at their brother and learn about the kinds of dangers 'we' mutants face out in the real world away from their school.
"Not that close up." She shrieked.
"Hey the cubs will blend in… breath, you're turning blue." With that he reached out and pressed the two halves of the sphere closed on Raven's irate face. "Okay all of you stay close to me, no running off to where I can't see ya." With that the Creeds got cleaned up, put the camp to rights and walked to the common aria. There they found dozens of FoH members gathered with their families… Griffin remembered how the day before they'd all looked like nice, normal people. Some of the kids from yesterday saw the twins and ran over.
"Hey you guys want to come play with us now?" Nervous, because they knew that these children were raised to hate mutants, the twins looked at their father.
"The boys aren't feeling well this morning… ate too much smors, they'll catch up with you later on." Victor supplied them with an excuse.
"Ya we had those too. Okay so later." The four Creeds walked on, when suddenly a group of men surrounded them. One dark haired man with golden eyes stepped closer to look at Vic.
"Sorry, you reminded me of someone there for a second." He smiled ands held out a hand. "Names Graydon Creed and you are?"
"Logan, Bob Logan. These are my boys, the twins Var and Lor and my oldest Damien." The twins sniggered as Griffin scowled. "We got in yesterday, you all stayin' long?"
"Just till after the rally, lots to do, but many of the others are staying till tomorrow. You really do remind me of someone… anyway welcome to the rally, you got some fine looking kids there, and you look like a man who takes protecting his family seriously." Vic nodded.
"Ya, I do… even if its from each other." Sabretooth added in a whisper as Graydon walked away.
#So, that was our older brother uh.# Griffin said flatly beside his father.
"Ya, no good little flat scan, but I'll say this about him, he's got a mouth on him that could sell a fridge to a guy livin' next-door to Santa." They found a shaded spot off to one side, but it was only to realize too late that it was very near where Graydon had chosen give his speech from. A man, talking on a cordless mic, who'd been walking among the people, sitting on blankets or on the grass, handed the mic over to Graydon, who went to work stirring up the crowd.
"… and no one is safe, not you, your family, your country. Not till every mutant on this earth God fearing earth is wearing one of these-" Graydon held up a power-voiding collar and waved it around, "as a warning to humans of what these freaks really are." Graydon walked forward and handed the collar to a man sitting on a folding-chair, "Here pass it around, get familiar with it. One day it will be all that stands between you and mutant out for blood." Griffin cringed away involuntarily when it was circulated near him. The Girls from the day before came and sat next him,
"Hi." The dark haired one whispered. Before Griffin could reply a pimple faced teen came over and hissed,
"Hey, what you doing with this guy?"
"What's it to you I'm just saying hello." The dark haired girl protested, as the boy pulled her away and the blond girl smiled slightly before following them. During all this Graydon kept milking the crowd and the collar was passed around. The dark haired girl again waved from where she now sat and motioned Griffin to join her, in that split second he lost track of the collar, and an instant later Sabretooth was bellowing,
"NO!" Griffin turned to check on the twins only to come face to face with the pimple faced boy again.
"How's it feel to be a mutant?" The Teen joked as he snapped the collar around Griffin's neck. It figured that the darn thing would be active. All of Griffin's illusions went out and left him standing there tail, claws and fangs now visible to everyone. After a second of silence the first gasps and screams were uttered as people ran away. Graydon pointed the mic at Griffin and was yelling,
"Kill it, kill it!" He ordered.
"I don't think so puppy." Victor now visibly his old self snarled, "I can't let you kill your brother, it would really piss off your mom." Graydon spun around to face-
"Father!" The FoH leader cried out in surprise, some people nearby stopped. "I knew it was you, you filthy- Who are these kids, your clones?" Vic balled his fists.
"They're your little brothers Graydon-" He didn't get any farther because some of the crowd had gotten violent and his cubs were in danger. Men were heading for Griffin, one with a baseball bat, as the kid struggled to get the collar to open, but it was locked. Luckily people didn't see the twins because Griffin had been able to hand-sign for them to vanish. The mic was still on and more people heard Graydon call the tall blond, obvious mutant, his father. Many of the crowd would go on to expose his secret over the following days and the FoH would be disbanded, only to be replaced with other hate groups, but for right now Griffin was caught in a collar that stopped his TK and from the drained feeling it put his healing factor out of commission too… only in frustration did he realize that his 'voice' for some reason still worked (Hank McCoy later explained that collars block a narrow levels of powers, and his 'voice' fell outside of that band level) even so he was still in very real danger as Vic and Graydon yelled at each other heatedly. (Griffin: sounds like a typical family reunion to me.) The first blow of the bat hit Griffin like a ton of bricks, it sent him to his knees in pain like he'd never experienced before in his life, one of the attackers yelled out as teeth shaped bites appeared out of thin air on his arms and he ran away. Victor saw Griffin fall, with a blood freezing roar he shoved Graydon down and bounded on the men just as purple beams started to rain down and knock people out. Victor grabbed Griffin up in his arms, felt the blood soaking into his shirt from his cub's head wound. His instincts took over, he sniffed at his boy… the sent of blood was heavy in the air. "Not… healing… Why?" Vic growled.
"The collar." Graydon said as he tried to hurry away, "I hope he dies."
"The key pup, if your brother dies you'll follow him." The FoH leader didn't answer then a figure taller then Sabretooth appeared, it was the twins melded into their combined form so they could block Graydon's way and without hesitation 'they' turned the older man upside-down.
"You may be our brother too but Griffin is worth a hundred of you!" Their voice was deep and resonating, the contents of Graydon's pockets were coaxed out by Victor ripping them open. The key fell out and Vic dove on it and quickly unlocked the collar. The chaos around them was forgotten was they watched the color returning to Griffin's face. The twins dropped Graydon, divided, and ran to Griffin's side. After a quick glance at the boys and his father Graydon joined the mass exodus. Griffin breathed in and opened his eyes.
#Dad?# Vic crouched near him.
"S'okay cub, you're going to be fine now." The camp manager came rushing over and Griffin saw that the man was literally glowing red.
"Will the boy be alright?" The manager asked with genuine concern. "Stupid FoH, that is the last time I let my moron of a brother take a reservation, he never asked what group was reserving." Victor picked up Griffin.
"Hey every family has one like that." He turned to walk off, "A little rest and you'll be fine by evening, you wouldn't want to miss the night recon and hunting lessons now would ya cub?"
#Hu?# Griffin was still confused.
"Hide 'n' Seek." Vic simplified.
"What?" The twins asked hearing their codenames.
"No we're playing hide 'n' seek."
"Cool, who's-"
"-it first?" They asked.
"I am." Victor Creed smiled. Griffin leaned back in his father's arms and groaned.
End part 2